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DARE TO ASK
WHAT HURTS THE MOST?

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WHO CARES? IS, VERY SIMPLY, A WAY FOR LOTS OF CHURCHES TO COME TOGETHER AND SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

It all starts with asking one big question: 'What hurts the most?' 

The church has the greatest hope to offer in the darkest moments, and the best answers to give to all of life’s questions. The Gospel meets the needs of the vulnerable and shows how, in Jesus, we can be restored to life in all its fullness.

Who Cares? provides a unique way to connect with your local community. Discover the biggest challenges and pain people are facing, and create opportunities to respond to the pain, anxiety and suffering with the hope of the Gospel.

Find out everything you need to know about how Who Cares? can serve your church and community and get in touch to talk to us about running Who Cares?

THE WHO CARES? STORY

The mission began with one church in 2011, then in 2014 spread to 50 churches across a county, and now we invite churches all over the UK to come together and tell our nation that Jesus cares.  

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In 2011 a small rural Norfolk church (Christ Community Church) ran a one question survey of their community – asking simply ‘What hurts the most?’ In a short space of time over 400 people responded and the church ran a sermon series based on the most common responses.

Their church leader was invited twice to speak on BBC Radio Norfolk about the survey and local newspapers also ran the story. One couple (who have now joined the church) described what happened when they received a flyer inviting them to the talks;

“As soon as I saw you were doing a talk about the pain of family life, I knew we had to come.”

The six talks were then turned into a short evangelistic book, There is Hope, which was given away to local people. Currently over 900 copies of this book have either been sold to other churches or given away and it was commended by the town Mayor and the local MP.

It wasn’t revival. It didn’t change everything. But… it was good and the experience provoked the church to consider; "Is there a way we could do this on a larger scale, working with other local churches?"

In 2014 over 50 churches from across Norfolk came together to do just that. The response was remarkable and they received over 20,000 answers to the WHO CARES? question. They ran over 100 events and projects sharing the hope of the Gospel and came together for a massive Alpha supper with Nicky Gumbel and Darrel Tunningley at the Norfolk Showground. 1,400 people came to that event which was the largest of its kind in the UK. 

Wonderfully many people were added to local churches as a result of the mission. Now churches across the UK are looking at running their own WHO CARES? mission. Yours could be one of them.

 

Endoresements

 
 

“The bible says that ‘if a person answers before listening – it is to their folly and shame’ (Proverbs 18:13). Which is something we as Christians may be guilty of. This is why the WHO CARES? initiative is so good, because it is about listening first; understanding before seeking to be understood. It is an easy, accessible way churches can engage with, and listen to, the communities they are in before opening their mouths to give any kind of answers to the problems people are facing.”

— Toby Skipper, King's Community Church

“Often when we think about sharing our faith we are most concerned about what we should say. WHO CARES? offers a different approach… to listen and to show our care. As we do this, we may find more opportunities to share about The One who cares more than we can imagine.”

— Mark Fairweather-Tall, Norwich Central Baptist Church

“This is a no gimmicky approach to those who do not feel connected with the church or who feel it is irrelevant. It will enable a conversation on issues we all have to face, and be an opportunity for people to discover a God who really does care.”

— Rev Robert Parsonage, All Saints Church

"WHO CARES? is reaching parts of the community few other parts of the church can reach... It's a simple yet powerful model of mission. There are many examples of the impact and follow up the Who Cares? Mission is having in Suffolk… There are other parishes contemplating using WHO CARES? as a first stage in a far longer commitment to reach out to their local communities that goes beyond a one off wider mission. This is particularly appealing to churches from different traditions and helps them to engage in proclaiming the gospel with authenticity.”

– The Revd Canon Dave Gardener, Director of Mission and Ministry, Dioceses of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich

 

“HOPE is thrilled that the WHO CARES? resource will provide churches with a tool to enable them to impact their community. Coming out of caring and loving relationships, this provides a great opportunity to communicate the Gospel. It is one of many that HOPE would recommend and we’re thrilled to be partnering with this.”

— Roy Crowne, Executive Director of HOPE

“WHO CARES? is a flexible tool to help churches express the compassion of God to people in our local communities. Its genius is that it works based on who we are as the local church and how we are already serving locally at whatever scale.”

— Jon Beardon, Wellspring Family Church

“WHO CARES?’ is often said by those who have grown cynical about our society. This mission initiative is a very simple means of enabling churches to make fresh contact with the communities of which they’re part and to show that they care for everyone because God cares for them. It’s a practical initiative, achievable and worthwhile, and which I hope will bring people who’ve never known of Jesus Christ’s care for them to hear his name and discover his love.”

— The Rt Rev Graham James, Former Bishop of Norwich

“This may have the longest impact of any mission I’ve been in for 30 years.”

– Bishop of Basingstoke 

 
 

Team

 

Phil gray

In 2012 I recall meeting with Rob Tervet and discussing an audacious idea of using the Newday Christian Festival (of which I was leading) as the centre piece for a large-scale evangelistic mission in Norfolk. At the time I was excited as I saw the potential of putting into practice all the principles that Newday taught the thousands of young people it brought together at the week-long event and serving the wider church in Norfolk. Spring forward two years and we found ourselves managing the logistics of utilising over 3,000 young people to gather the information which would see over 60 churches reaching out to their communities and see transformation in people’s lives. Following this I had the privilege of running the largest Alpha launch the UK has ever seen with over 1,500 people attending the opening meal and hearing Nicky Gumble explain the gospel.

I now work for a global NGO based in Norwich which allows me to continue to serve the Who Cares? Mission to see people’s lives transformed across the UK.

 

JOHN CREBER

After 30  years in the Library  Service, which culminated in project managing the development of the library in The Forum in Norwich, retirement offered me the opportunity to take on the management of several projects with Hope Community Church in Wymondham. One of these was the Wymondham response to the challenge of the Who Cares? Mission. I was privileged to lead a fantastic team which, with the help of young people from Newday, managed to secure over 1,700 responses to the What hurts the most? question.

I was struck by the simplicity of this approach to evangelism and the way in which it galvanised the church into action and brought the churches in the town together. There were many heart warming and heart wrenching stories which emerged and were addressed by a series of dedicated services which challenged those who had expressed the hurts as well as the church members. When the opportunity came to join the board of trustees for Who Cares? Mission I embraced the challenge of participating in the roll out of the mission to other parts of the country. It is an exiting venture which is challenging and expanding  my faith and it is great to see Jesus at work in this expansion of His Kingdom.

JULIAN BRYANT

After working with people who are homeless and people who were dependent on drugs for over 20 years I found myself as a CEO of a growing substance misuse project. I felt challenged by God to get more involved with people personally so I left that organisation and started to meet people in my community who needed help and often also needed God. I also became involved with overseas development work, coaching and supporting Christian charities. When WHO CARES? came along I found a wonderful way for the church to hear the needs of people in a community whilst also being able to respond in a thoughtful, loving and direct way with the love of Jesus. It’s about the whole Gospel. As a Trustee, I love being part of a great team and seeing people’s lives changed - thanks to God.

Trustees

John Creber, Julian Bryant, Vicky Tyce, Oliver Westmancott
Paige Marrett, Penny Taylor and Phil Gray